Key Activities of Caregivers for Individuals With Parkinson Disease: A Secondary Analysis

Individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) require support from family caregivers because of decreased functional levels in a later stage. Much of the research with PD caregivers has been limited by relatively homogenous samples of primarily White and largely spousal caregivers.

This secondary analysis aimed to describe a national sample of caregivers of individuals with PD in the Caregiving in the U.S. 2015 data set and their activities, including activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental ADLs (IADLs), and key activities they performed for individuals with PD.

Fifty-four caregivers (32 women) were included. The mean (SD) age was 57.7 (16.9) years, and the sample included 57% White, 9% Black, 15% Asian, and 17% Hispanic caregivers. Relationships to care recipient were 32% spouses, 20% mothers, and 11% fathers, with the remaining being a variety of relationships. The number of ADLs and IADLs performed by the caregiver was 2.85 (SD, 2.18) and 4.72 (SD, 2.08), respectively. The most frequent ADLs were getting in and out of beds and chairs, getting dressed, getting to and from the toilet, and bathing/showering. The most frequent IADLs were transportation, shopping, managing finances, giving medicine, preparing meals, and housework.

This study shows the number of ADLs and IADLs performed by a diverse group of PD caregivers and indicates the need to acknowledge the extensive work performed by caregivers.